Choose by medium: GIMP for raster editing, Krita for painting, Inkscape for vectors, Blender for 3D and ShareX for Windows capture. Keep editable source files and export a separate delivery copy. Advanced creative work takes practice; begin with one small project.
Retouch photos and compose layered images; useful when basic cropping is not enough.
Platforms
Windows · macOS · Linux
Guidance & sources
Start with a copy of your photo and retain an editable project alongside the export.
Edition and requirements can change; check the official source before installing.
Choose by medium: GIMP for raster editing, Krita for painting, Inkscape for vectors, Blender for 3D and ShareX for Windows capture. Keep editable source files and export a separate delivery copy. Advanced creative work takes practice; begin with one small project.
Paint and sketch digitally with brushes and layers, especially with a drawing tablet.
Platforms
Windows · macOS · Linux
Guidance & sources
Try brushes and tablet input before adopting it for a painting workflow.
Website downloads are free; paid store editions also exist.
Choose by medium: GIMP for raster editing, Krita for painting, Inkscape for vectors, Blender for 3D and ShareX for Windows capture. Keep editable source files and export a separate delivery copy. Advanced creative work takes practice; begin with one small project.
Capture and annotate screenshots for instructions, bug reports or sharing an explanation.
Platforms
Windows
Guidance & sources
Review capture regions and automatic sharing settings before taking screenshots.
Check upload destinations before capturing confidential content.
Choose by medium: GIMP for raster editing, Krita for painting, Inkscape for vectors, Blender for 3D and ShareX for Windows capture. Keep editable source files and export a separate delivery copy. Advanced creative work takes practice; begin with one small project.
Draw scalable logos, diagrams and illustrations using vectors instead of pixels.
Platforms
Windows · macOS · Linux
Guidance & sources
Keep the vector source and test exported artwork at its intended size.
Edition and requirements can change; check the official source before installing.
Choose by medium: GIMP for raster editing, Krita for painting, Inkscape for vectors, Blender for 3D and ShareX for Windows capture. Keep editable source files and export a separate delivery copy. Advanced creative work takes practice; begin with one small project.
Model, animate and render 3D scenes in one creative environment.
Platforms
Windows · macOS · Linux
Guidance & sources
Begin with a small scene; render complexity can grow faster than your hardware capacity.
Edition and requirements can change; check the official source before installing.
Choose by medium: GIMP for raster editing, Krita for painting, Inkscape for vectors, Blender for 3D and ShareX for Windows capture. Keep editable source files and export a separate delivery copy. Advanced creative work takes practice; begin with one small project.
Build node-based image generation, image processing and supported video workflows.
Platforms
Windows · macOS · Linux
Guidance & sources
Capabilities depend on installed models, custom nodes and workflows; ComfyUI alone is not a video generator. Local core is free; optional cloud/partner nodes may cost money. Stable Diffusion model licenses differ.
Edition and requirements can change; check the official source before installing.
Local AI runs model inference on your own device. After downloading software and models, supported local workflows can work offline; cloud features and extensions may still send data. RAM is system memory, VRAM is GPU memory. CPUs can run some models more slowly; a compatible GPU can accelerate supported workloads. Larger models require more memory. Quantization uses fewer bits to reduce size, trading some accuracy for easier running. Start small, check model licenses and measure on your actual machine.
Photo, vector and page-layout tools in one free individual desktop app.
Platforms
Windows · macOS
Guidance & sources
A Canva account is required. Proprietary, not open source; premium Canva AI is optional. Current app: Windows/macOS; iPad is announced as coming soon.
Edition and requirements can change; check the official source before installing.
Choose by medium: GIMP for raster editing, Krita for painting, Inkscape for vectors, Blender for 3D and ShareX for Windows capture. Keep editable source files and export a separate delivery copy. Advanced creative work takes practice; begin with one small project.
A lightweight Windows image editor with layers and effects.
Platforms
Windows
Guidance & sources
Official website download is free; Microsoft Store distribution is paid. Windows only, proprietary, not a RAW development suite.
Edition and requirements can change; check the official source before installing.
Choose by medium: GIMP for raster editing, Krita for painting, Inkscape for vectors, Blender for 3D and ShareX for Windows capture. Keep editable source files and export a separate delivery copy. Advanced creative work takes practice; begin with one small project.
Develop RAW photos with a non-destructive photographic workflow.
Platforms
Windows · macOS · Linux
Guidance & sources
Check camera RAW support and color management with sample files. This is photo development, not a direct replacement for layered graphic editing.
Edition and requirements can change; check the official source before installing.
Choose by medium: GIMP for raster editing, Krita for painting, Inkscape for vectors, Blender for 3D and ShareX for Windows capture. Keep editable source files and export a separate delivery copy. Advanced creative work takes practice; begin with one small project.
Process RAW images with detailed color and exposure controls.
Platforms
Windows · macOS · Linux
Guidance & sources
Check camera RAW support and color management with sample files. This is photo development, not a direct replacement for layered graphic editing.
Edition and requirements can change; check the official source before installing.
Choose by medium: GIMP for raster editing, Krita for painting, Inkscape for vectors, Blender for 3D and ShareX for Windows capture. Keep editable source files and export a separate delivery copy. Advanced creative work takes practice; begin with one small project.
Lay out brochures and publications with print-oriented PDF output.
Platforms
Windows · macOS · Linux
Guidance & sources
Test a sample project before switching; file compatibility and workflows can differ. Check the linked edition, requirements and license.
Edition and requirements can change; check the official source before installing.
Choose by medium: GIMP for raster editing, Krita for painting, Inkscape for vectors, Blender for 3D and ShareX for Windows capture. Keep editable source files and export a separate delivery copy. Advanced creative work takes practice; begin with one small project.
Edit layered images and many PSD files in a browser.
Platforms
Web
Guidance & sources
The free edition contains ads. Check complex PSD features; it is not Photoshop and premium terms differ.
Edition and requirements can change; check the official source before installing.
Choose by medium: GIMP for raster editing, Krita for painting, Inkscape for vectors, Blender for 3D and ShareX for Windows capture. Keep editable source files and export a separate delivery copy. Advanced creative work takes practice; begin with one small project.
Design interfaces and prototypes with open-source web tooling.
Platforms
Web · Self-hosted server
Guidance & sources
Test a sample project before switching; file compatibility and workflows can differ. Check the linked edition, requirements and license.
Edition and requirements can change; check the official source before installing.
Choose by medium: GIMP for raster editing, Krita for painting, Inkscape for vectors, Blender for 3D and ShareX for Windows capture. Keep editable source files and export a separate delivery copy. Advanced creative work takes practice; begin with one small project.
Edit multi-track video with an open-source timeline editor.
Platforms
Windows · macOS · Linux
Guidance & sources
Test your codecs, effects and export workflow. Project files, plugins and collaboration features are not interchangeable with Premiere Pro.
Edition and requirements can change; check the official source before installing.
VLC plays media; Audacity edits audio; OBS Studio records or streams; HandBrake converts video. These tasks are different. Keep the original recording, test a short export and check codec compatibility before processing a large collection.
Build local image-generation and canvas workflows with supported models.
Platforms
Windows · macOS · Linux
Guidance & sources
Model licenses, hardware and supported workflows differ. Stable Diffusion is a model family, not a single universally licensed app.
Edition and requirements can change; check the official source before installing.
Choose by medium: GIMP for raster editing, Krita for painting, Inkscape for vectors, Blender for 3D and ShareX for Windows capture. Keep editable source files and export a separate delivery copy. Advanced creative work takes practice; begin with one small project.
EN
NL
FR
DE
TR
